They delivered yesterday a letter containing the request to the Supervising Minister for Education, Chief. Nyesom Wike.
Also, top leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), led by National President, Dr. Nasir Issa Fagge, converged yesterday on Abuja for the last stage of discussions with the Federal Government.
The leaders were awaiting the President’s invitation on the three conditions they tabled for the almost five -month strike to be called off.
The conditions are:
• commitment from the President that any review or reconsideration or renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement will not substantially affect the Agreement which is the cause of the ongoing strike;
• immediate payment of all outstanding salary arrears and allowances of varsity teachers without victimisation; and
•a written commitment from the President that the Federal Government will commit N225billion annually to the funding of universities for the next four years.
ASUU’s letter was delivered to the Minister through its Liaison Officer in Abuja.
But the minister has described the demand as outrageous.
Wike said: “I will have to see Mr. President to see how the government can go about this development, which is not favourable. It is outrageous. ASUU is now making fresh demands and this will definitely need further discussion.”
In the letter, the union demanded that it would want the last tranche of the negotiation with the Federal Government to be witnessed by President of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) Abduwaheed Omar and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).
A top source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said ASUU leaders were determined to see that any agreement with the Federal Government has legal binding.
The source said: “ASUU leaders are not ready to take anything for granted this time around; every clause in whatever is agreed upon will have legal effect on the two parties.
“This is why ASUU leaders have asked for the NLC President and the AGF to be present. They do not want a situation where the government will deny such agreement in the near future.
“It was amazing how the government had been faulting the 2009 Agreement, which it was part of. This shows that ASUU must be extremely careful.”
There were indications also that the Federal Government was also firming up its position on the conditions set by ASUU.
A Presidency source said: “The government is also weighing options on the demands of ASUU especially the aspects relating to financial commitment.
“You know, what the government spends has to depend on what it earns. If there is a binding financial commitment and there is global recession in the oil industry, will government now look for money at all cost?
“This is one grey area of the pending agreement on which the two parties must reach a compromise.”
A source close to ASUU however said varsity students may stay at home till next year when the government will be ready to meet the union’s demand.
The source said the government’s plan is to deceive ASUU into calling off the strike and still not implement the 2009 agreement.
“ASUU will not chicken out of its fight. The death of Iyayi has further deepened our resolve to ensure that government implements the 2009 agreement. This fight is for the university community and not for ASUU. Many people are insinuating that we are fighting for the 2009 to be implemented to favour ASUU. They can say whatever they like that will not deter us.
”Government knows what to do. But people in the same government are mismanaging public funds which can be used to implement the said FG/ASUU agreement. Many of us at the ASUU session at Mambayya House in Kano resolved that government must meet the 2009 agreement.”
Wike yesterday condemned new conditions which the union insists must be met before a truce could be achieved.
Wike spoke during his meeting with Commissioners of Education in Abuja.
He confirmed that ASUU had given new conditions to call off the strike.
The Minister at the meeting with the commissioners assured them of the readiness of the Federal Government to support state governments in the development of education. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Government are not fair with ASUU. They are concern with saving money for their unborn generations and their continuation in power. Mr President! where are all the promises you made before entry into the office? You are failing Nigerians, but you can still get up and do something better. QUOTE; 'I have no shoes' but now the shoes are too many and most have over sized u. please share it to those that can wear them. PATOGAR.
ReplyDeleteWike or what isyour name, there is no new condition set by ASUU. Can you tell us how much you have spent in fuelling PDP crisis in Rivers state if it is budgetted for? That is the problem of putting square peg in round hole.
ReplyDeleteuseless Asuu
ReplyDeleteAn emplyee given conditions to an emplyer on hw much he to b paid. Shine ur eyes Mr president, ASUU's mission is to destroy ur government wic dey ave somehw suceeded. Bt must U let dem drag U down completely.?? See if dis ASUU body is nt willing 2 work 4 d good of ur presidency, den y r dey stil on board? Don't let d ship sink beyound pulling it out wit survivals..None of d ASUU member is Indispensable.
ReplyDeleteThis is rather outrageous. ASUU started well but now treading a very dangerous path. You may say our President is gentle or weak but that should not be taken for granted. ASUU confirmed before that this is the first time a sitting President will sit at the negotiation table with them and should be greatly appreciated that we have a sensitive President. Calling the President to give them written confirmation, asking the attorney general & NLC president to be part of the final talk is completely out of common sense and should be rejected in its entirety by the Federal Govt. ASUU should take note that 3 of their affiliates have backed out and more will soon follow. This strike claimed the life of our highly respected Prof. Iyayi and is still taking its toll on the lifes of our wards. What more do they want? The turn of events is getting out of hand and becoming too embarrassing to this country while you continue to waste the good lifes of our children. Do not forget 90 MINUTES AT ENTEBBE. If the Federal govt should wake up and will think of another solution as option, it may not be as palatable and you may not be the one to decide or negotiate your stand. DO NOT FORGET WHAT HAPPENED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN before they become the best University in Nigeria. ASUU WAKE UP AND BE WISE. A word is enough for the wise. May God forgive us all. Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria. Toks
ReplyDeleteASUU is now trying to be an unregistered political party. I think having used carrot and it failed, Govt should now use Stick!
ReplyDeletei wonder how you people understand isues.wike or what do you called yourself, will you not pay them their salaries before. you are just trying to blackmail this saints. will you not implement the agreement again the tommorow Asuu will be at fault again or what are you thinking. pls stop all those stupid word of yours.
ReplyDeleteThe more people still think like the likes of the commentator (@Toks) above the more our issues in Nigeria will never get solved. With all that was written here, one of the most important to you was that the President sat with ASUU and that happens to be something too special to happen. Tell me, who is the President? But a servant elected by you to fight for your Interest. So what is so so special about it. If you were careful to read well, you should be ashamed of the same government that ASUU can no longer trust their words. The same government ASUU sat with years back and never thought it necessary to request for witnesses to be in sitting then. But from the experiences with the cunning and blatant liars in government, they now want witnesses to be on seat when they will be agreeing on terms. This alone should make Mr. President and his cohort weep because they have failed them. They are no longer trusted and their words hold no more weight. Can you imagine? A whole word of the President of a Nation not respected, and its simply because of His integrity. No one sees this but all are just reigning curses on ASUU.
ReplyDeleteAnd I always say something, not until Nigerians understand that their is a BIG price to be paid for better life ahead, then you will never get there. Mandela and the people of South Africa paid their price and they have Victory today. The Arab spring came and thousands paid the price with their blood and most are free from dictators today. Syria is presently paying their price. Thousands have been killed even with nerve gases and who knows how many will still die but they are bent of seeing the end.
Tell me, Nigerians what price do you want to pay? This is just 5months+ of strike and even some weaklings are already pulling out of ASUU and some parents are ranting for ASUU to go back to school. Why?
Didn't you read the terms of ASUU and what they are fighting for? If the government start spending the billions on Education as ASUU is requesting, who will stand to benefit? Is it not you, your children and even generations to come?
My advise to those turning their back on ASUU, stop being a weakling. There is no Gain without Pains.
Adeyinka Fadehan
I love you!
DeleteThanks Adeyinka for your comment. But have you read today that another University has backed out to make it 4. ASUU is fast losing the sympathy they deserve. There are ways of doing things rather than the method adopted. They could COMPEL the Fed govt to do their bid but the way they are going about it is very crude and insulting. How long will this issue drag? When will our wards go back to school? They need to round up issues at the earliest and move forward. This dragging of issues is becoming too much pain. The person that fights today and run will come back tomorrow to gain more grounds. Toks
ReplyDeleteILORIN is never d best univ in Nigeria by any standard.
ReplyDelete"Immidiate payment of all outstanding salaries and arrears"...quite an interesting demand for sum1 whos has not performed any job during the period in question. This like this involve sacrifice, for some people, the loose their lives to fight for what they believe in. Bt I guess the people of ASUU jst want to fill up their pockets wt payments they havent earned and promise of more in the future, all under the disguise of seeking better education for students. My question is thou " After all this months of strike, how do u compensate the students that hav lost this much time?" But then I guess its just a sacrifice they have to make...charity!! Bt how bout ASUU?
ReplyDeleteGREED... is all i can say. this is obviously for their own selfish interest and not for the interest of the students. of course they would have resumed about for months ago if it was for the best interest of the students anyway.
ReplyDelete